Women's Swimming and Diving Heads to NCAA Championships
March 19, 2008 | Women's Swimming & Diving
The No. 20 University of Wisconsin women's swimming and diving team will send nine of its members to the 2008 NCAA championships this weekend at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion in Columbus, Ohio. The Badgers will be heading to the event for the 15th year in a row.
Last season the Badgers finished in 24th place with 36 points, while also having five team members earn either All-America or honorable mention All-America honors.
The nine team members being sent to represent the Badgers are comprised of two seniors, two juniors, three sophomores and two freshmen.
Senior Jackie Vavrek (West Chicago, Ill.) will be making her fourth appearance at the NCAA championships. A two-time All-America honoree and a five time honorable mention All-American, Vavrek owns the top three times in school history in the 50-yard freestyle and has been a part of three relay teams (200-yard free, 400-yard free and 200-yard medley) that are tops in program history. This weekend, Vavrek will be competing in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle, 200-yard medley relay, and in the 200- and 400-yard freestyle relays.
Fellow senior Hannah McClurg (San Diego, Calif.) will also be competing at the NCAA championships for the fourth year in a row. An All-America and two-time honorable mention All-America selection, McClurg owns the school records in the 200- and 400-yard freestyle relay teams. This year she will be competing in the 50-, 100- and 200-yard freestyle, 200- and 400-yard freestyle relays and in the 400-yard medley relay.
Making her second trip to the NCAA championships will be junior Jen Illescas (East Elmhurst, N.Y.). Illescas, who earned honorable mention All-America honors at the 2006 NCAA championships, will be competing in the 200- and 500-yard freestyle, 200-yard Butterfly and in the 400-yard freestyle relay. She owns the school record in the 400-yard freestyle relay and is top-10 in program history in the 200-, 500- and 1650-yard freestyle. Illescas also owns seven of the top-10 times in the 200-yard butterfly in school history.
A native of Somerset West, South Africa, junior Christine Zwiegers will be making her second career appearance at the NCAA championships. Last year she placed 16th in the 200-yard freestyle relay to earn honorable mention All-America honors. This year Zwiegers will compete in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle, 100-yard butterfly and in the 200- and 400-yard medley relays. In program history, Zwiegers is in the top-10 in five different events and this year has posted the best Badger time in the 100-yard butterfly and 200- and 400-yard medley relays.
Sophomore Gabby Maddalena (The Woodlands, Texas) will be competing at the NCAA championships for the second time in her career. Maddalena will be participating in the same events as last year as she looks to improve on a 21st-place finish in the 1650-yard freestyle and a 40th-place finish in the 500-yard freestyle. In school history, Maddalena places in the top-10 in three different events, including the two she will be competing in this weekend.
The other four Badgers competing this weekend will be competing at the NCAA championships for the first time in their respective careers.
Sophomore Rosie Morahan (London, England) will compete in the 100-yard freestyle, 100-yard breaststroke and in the 200- and 400-yard medley relays. Morahan has led the team with top times in the 100-yard breaststroke and in the 200-yard medley relay. She is in the top-10 in school history in four different events, including two as an individual.
Fellow sophomore Candice Peak (Andover, Mass.) will race in three events this weekend: the 200-yard IM and the 100- and 200-yard backstroke. Peak has earned the top times on the team in the 200-yard backstroke and the 200-yard IM this year and is in the top-10 in school history in the 100- and 200-yard backstroke.
Freshmen Kelsey Gergen (Hastings, Minn.) and Maggie Meyer (North Oaks, Minn.) have both enjoyed impressive starts to their careers and both will look to continue that this weekend.
Gergen will take part in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle and in the 200-yard freestyle relay, while Meyer will compete in the 100-yard freestyle, 100-yard backstroke, 200- and 400-yard freestyle relays and in the 200- and 400-yard medley relays. Gergen, along with McClurg, Vavrek and Meyer, owns the top time in school history in the 200-yard freestyle relay, while Meyer has also posted a school record in the 400-yard freestyle relay and in the 100-yard freestyle. Meyer is also top-10 all-time in five other events.
Competition at the 2008 NCAA championships will begin on Thursday, March 20 and will conclude on Saturday, March 22. Prelims will begin each day at 10 a.m. (CT) with the finals to follow at 6 p.m. (CT) each night. Fans can get more information and live stats by clicking DB_OEM_ID=17300&ATCLID=1362521&KEY=&DB_OEM_ID=17300&DB_LANG=&IN_SUBSCRIBER_CONTENT="> --> here and can check back to UWBadgers for results.
